Identifying indicators and targets for the new World Health Organization Global Framework on Infection Prevention and...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Control
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) developed a global action plan (GAP) and monitoring framework (MF) for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).
• An e-Delphi survey was employed to facilitate consensus on the IPC MF indicators and targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To achieve consensus on indicators and targets for the WHO IPC Monitoring Framework (MF).
• To establish a standardized approach for monitoring global progress in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).

Main Methods:

• An e-Delphi consensus-seeking exercise with two sequential survey rounds.
• Participants assessed indicators and targets using a 5-point Likert scale and prioritized them.
• Consensus was defined by >70% agreement and <5% disagreement.

Main Results:

• High consensus was achieved on 134 indicators and 27 targets, with only one indicator not reaching consensus in round 1.
• 16 indicators showed a >5% disagreement level; three indicators were rejected in round 2.
• Strong support for IPC surveillance was noted, while research ranked lower due to competing priorities.

Conclusions:

• A robust consensus-building process resulted in high agreement on proposed IPC indicators and targets.
• The WHO IPC GAP and MF were adopted by all countries at the 77th World Health Assembly in May 2024.